Sovereign Of Fate
by Chaotic.Horizon
Summary: Can Ivalice finally feel at peace after these years of war? Not if the Occuria have anything to do about it. It's up to our favorite Humes and Viera to stop these spiritual beings before they take the reins of history from man forever. Multi-Pairing
1. Chapter 1

**So this is my very first fanfic! Exciting I know. I figured I'd post this chapter before I convinced myself not to, so here it is! This one in particular revolves around Ashe, so hopefully you enjoy reading!**

**Disclaimer:**** I definitely do not own Final Fantasy XII or its characters. If I did, I probably wouldn't be writing a fanfic about it.**

* * *

The sunset over the horizon of Rabanastre was by far the most beautiful in all of Ivalice. That was this Queen's opinion on the matter, and there was little anyone could do to change it. It was a vivid, golden sky, with wisps of orange like liquid fire cutting through—true art. As the young woman sat upon her throne, having turned it around to face the wall of windows, a sigh of content came from her; it was nice to feel as though she was finally at peace.

The events of the last three years, though she would never forget them, almost completely felt like the past now. Perhaps her new life as ruler of the country she loved would bring an end to the chaos that had been her life for so long. The war was over. Now she had nothing else to worry about, right? Of course her duties were ever prevalent, but it was nothing she could not handle. From now on it would be smooth sailing, so to speak.

"Your Highness! May I come in?"

Then again, could a new Queen ever truly be at peace? Recognizing the voice outside her door to be none of than Sahrin, her main advisor, Ashelia removed herself from her thoughts to attend to him. "Please allow him in," she called to one of the guards standing watchfully by the doorway. Not bothering to leave her throne, the Queen redirected her gaze out over the horizon as she heard the door open and close with a thud.

Footsteps echoed throughout the spacious room, and when they stopped all was silent. "Yes, Sahrin?" Ashelia spoke out, even as she realized that having him speak to the back of a throne wasn't quite the most gracious etiquette. It was with this thought in mind that she stood, walking around the ornate chair to stand in front of it.

Being that she was on a platform, the Queen looked down at her adviser as he bowed deeply towards her. "Your Majesty," he began, the man's voice just dripping with formality as it always was. "I have come to converse with you in regards to a rather...pressing issue." As he spoke, Ashe could not help but notice his hesitant manner of speech, as if he were trying carefully to choose his words. With a slight raise of the brow, the royal's curiosity was clear. "Is that so? Well then, the two of us should take a seat."

* * *

"Yes well, as I was saying, the matter at hand is one of great urgency, Highness." Sahrin continued once they had taken seats at a small table in the throne room. Ashelia listened intently from across the table, slightly nodding for him to go on. "You see, the other advisors, and myself of course, have had a great debate over this situation." The middle-aged man seemed almost nervous now, much to the Queen's surprise. By the Gods, what could possibly be the cause of all this?

With her chin resting atop her folded hands and her elbows resting delicately on the table, Ashelia urged him to continue. "What situation do you speak of, if I may so ask?" Her voice was calm and patient for the most part, but a trained ear would surely catch the bit of anxiousness in it. Sahrin looked as though it almost pained him to tell her, and even when he did Ashe could nearly see him flinch as the words came out of his mouth. "To be quite frank, the commotion revolves about _your _situation, Majesty."

If the young Queen hadn't trained herself to keep her composure whenever possible, an amused smile certainly would have graced her features. However the young woman had no way of keeping her emotions from being portrayed through her pale gray eyes. "_My_ situation, Sahrin? I shudder to think what the problem may possibly be." This was meant as a slight jest, but the faithful adviser didn't seem to catch on.

"You are Queen of Dalmasca; the youngest in our history. Even greater, you are the last ancestor to Dynast-King Raithwall." Sahrin seemed to be reaching for a way to avoid the main subject as long as possible, and the Queen was quick to take notice. If there was anything Ashelia truly enjoyed, it was getting to the point of things. "This is all true." She replied, "Still I fail to see how this may lead to any sort of dilemma. Educate me, if you will."

"Well...." He started, before breaking off suddenly, sounding more nervous than ever. "Well," the male resumed, now speaking quickly, as if to get it all out before he changed his mind. "We have all spoken and have come to the decision that the Queen has a certain responsibility to her people. That being...that she marry, and preferably as soon as possible."

Gray eyes widened immensely at this, at if she hadn't been the polite young woman any Queen should be, her mouth would have dropped open. "_Marry_?" The blonde repeated, almost hoping that she had heard incorrectly. Sahrin could only nod mutely in response, perhaps afraid to insight any sort of outrage from the royal. "Surely this matter is one that can be taken care of at a later date. My apologies Sahrin, but I simply cannot worry myself about such things when we have only just released ourselves from the bonds of war."

"But you must, Highness!" He insisted strongly, though his voice lowered immediately afterwards, perhaps remembering his etiquette. "What I mean to say is; waiting will only cause many an issue in the future. You are twenty years of age now, nearly twenty one. We cannot risk the purity of the royal bloodline any longer. Dalmasca must ensure that Raithwall's line continues in the royal family. It is a matter of necessity, Majesty." Ashe could only narrow her eyes at this, quickly wanting this conversation to be over with.

"I understand that well enough. I also understand that a marriage will take time and energy—both of which we don't have at this moment in time. To be perfectly honest, I would place marriage at the very _bottom _of my priorities." As she spoke, her thumb instinctively rubbed the silver band on her ring finger. "Yes, Majesty. We have considered this in our deliberations. We still came to the decision that the end justifies the means in this case.

"We are sure Dalmasca would not suffer too gravely. It would be a benefit in the long run. Especially once you are able to have children." Not even the proper Queen Ashelia could keep her mouth from going slightly agape at this, though she managed to close it quickly. "Children?!" The femme echoed, clearly in disbelief. Were they really expecting her to take such talk with at face value, in a completely serious manner?

Obviously, her oh-so-wise council had lost their heads. "I am forced to express my concerns over this sudden decision. To think! I have just gained my throne and already I am being expected to put myself into a weakened state for nine months. Children! Incredible."

"I do not mean any disrespect by it, Highness. We are only concerned for the future of Dalmasca's royal family. It is all for the good of the kingdom. Perhaps you will be more willing to consider this proposal when you hear of a potential suitor?"

"I highly doubt it, but you have every right to attempt. Please, do tell, who is this lovely suitor you have arranged as future King of Dalmasca?"

"Prince Al-Cid Margrace of Rozarria."

"Al-Cid?"

Yes, Highness."

"Of Rozarria?"

Yes, Highness."

"..."

"Majesty?"

"I... is this some sort of foolery? Surely you cannot be sincere. You...must be joking? " Ashe said, time letting a light smile appear on her face. Funny, her staff was, to have thought of such an amusing hoax. Oh, how they had got her! She didn't mind at all though, for it was all in good fun. She would have to find out just who the mastermind behind it all was.

Her smile was wiped away as quickly as it appeared, however, as Sahrin's face did not show any sort of amusement; not even the smallest sign, try as the young woman did to detect such. "This is not a jest, Highness. Al-Cid is not directly in line for the throne, and his status in Rozarria, as well as other characteristics, makes him a perfect candidate. He has even expressed interest recently. He is a fine man."

Ashelia could hardly believe her ears at this point. "Fine he may be, but Al-Cid is..." She drifted off, her mind finishing off the sentence in a variety of ways, none of them exactly showering the man in compliments. Sighing, Ashe shook her head in displeasure. "I'd rather not continue this conversation right now, Sahrin." The adviser seemed as though he was about to object, but the young Queen held up a hand to silence him. "Please. I wish to be alone with my thoughts."

"Very well, Highness. Please do consider what we have spoken of. This is a matter that we cannot ignore. Good day, Majesty."

* * *

It was surprising how easy it still was for Ashe to escape from the palace unnoticed. At this point she considered herself a master of it, having been sneaking out ever since she was a child. Yes, security at the palace was extremely tight, but it seemed as though the guards were almost too trusting of the crafty royal. All she needed to do was tell them that she wanted to go on a walk in the garden. Alone.

They were happy to comply, and soon enough she was off on her way through the royal city of Rabanastre. Ashe just needed to be away from her duties for a while, especially after her little conversation with Sahrin. All she wanted was some peace to herself, and strolling through the marketplace of Rabanastre seemed like the perfect way to go about it.

In reality, it would seem like a foolish idea for a Queen to step out into the public of her country with nothing but a simple disguise on. It wasn't as though she was unrecognizable in her average clothing, decked out in earthy tones and a sheer shawl over her head. In fact, Ashelia wasn't at all expecting that the way she was dressed would be enough to keep her true identity unnoticed.

All the young woman had to rely on was the fact that the last person anyone would expect to be walking around the marketplace would be the Queen of Dalmasca. If anyone saw her face surely they would just assume she was nothing but an uncanny resemblance. It had worked when she'd passed herself off as Amalia, and hopefully it would still work now.

Ashelia knew that she couldn't stay forever enjoying the time she had among her people. Soon enough the young woman would have to return to her lavished home, just before the guards went out to check on her. She'd have to use what little time she _did_ have to her advantage, and she knew just the way to do it. It wouldn't even risk her being noticed by having to speak to someone directly.

Walking at a slow and leisurely pace, Ashe let her gray eyes wander as she quietly observed the people she ruled over. The day seemed to be like any other: Humes, Baangas, Moogles, and even the occasional Viera all mingled together, buying and selling goods. The marketplace was always the best place to go when you wanted to hear the most current news. With beings from all over Ivalice coming together in one small area, it was a treasure trove of information.

Really, all the femme needed to do was to listen carefully for a conversation that caught her interest—perhaps she would even get a glimpse of true opinion her people had of their new ruler. They had seemed to receive her well enough, but Ashe really wanted a more personal way of knowing they accepted her as Queen.

As she walked, no one seemed to be giving her what she was looking for, but she was quickly distracted by something else entirely. Up ahead she caught sight of a gathering of people, all of them seeming to have crowded around someone, or something. Curious, the dirty blonde walked over to the group, softly making her way through the crowd. Luckily Ashe was able to get close enough to the front that she could see just what all the commotion was about: A man speaking? Not exactly the most exciting thing.

He seemed to be preaching about something, but Ashe wasn't at all sure just _what _he was going on about. He was a dark-haired man with eyes just the same, perhaps Rozarrian? Ashelia was a good judge when it came to determining such things by sight. Listening to hear his accent, he most certainly was. The preacher also seemed relatively young, perhaps in his early 30s at best. It was odd; for someone so young he spoke with the sort of low, worn and wise tone that made him seem decades older.

Ashe herself had only encountered such an occurrence among royalty and the most noble of knights. Turning her attention to what he as actually saying, she could not help but find herself more than confused. "You all have your Gods, am I not correct?" The man asked; his tone closer to a shout as he addressed the crowd, the whole of which responded in a variety of 'Yes sir's and 'You are's.

This reaction was obviously just what the man had expected, as a broad smile crossed his features. It was a very proud smile he had, one of great self-assurance if Ashe had ever seen one. "I had guessed this much. But I propose to you all a question. _What_ exactly have your gods done for you lately?"

The crowd grew quite silent at this, perhaps trying to think about the right way to answer the man's bold question. Finally, an older Hume stepped out from the crowd, his bearded face showing obvious aggravation. "Who are you to ask such a thing? You should take your blasphemous talk elsewhere!" This was backed up by many in the crowd, shouts of agreement filling the air. However, the crowd's antics only seemed to amuse the preacher even more, and Ashe heard him let out a hearty laugh. He put up his hands in a sort of surrender, before answering the man who had stepped up directly.

"Kind sir, I mean no offense with my question. However your reaction has made it abundantly clear that you do not know just how to answer my query." Before anyone could object, the Rozarrian continued speaking, "I am sure you all have asked yourselves the very question I have put before you today—whether you are willing to admit such if another matter completely."

"What in the world is this man going on about?"

"Clearly he is mad!"

"What nonsense he speaks!"

"Someone detain this man!"

The crowd's volume grew quickly with claims like this, and soon enough it seemed as though an angry mob were about to form and take the preaching man off to an asylum. He noticed this well enough, shouting over the voices of the crowd in an attempt to calm them. "Fine citizens, there is no reason for such alarm! What if I told you that your Gods are nothing in comparison to what I have come here to inform you all of?"

"We should not waste our time with such absurdity!"

"He should be sent to the palace dungeon!"

"No, the asylum!"

"Wait, let the man speak! Perhaps he has something valid to say."

From the voice Ashe could tell it was a younger man who was defending the preacher, and it seemed to be enough to settle the crowd down at least a little. Realizing now was his chance to truly make his case, the man at the center of the crowd began to speak once more. "I will first pose you all another question: Have any of you ever heard of the Occuria?" This caused the Queen's eyes to widen in surprise, and she knew that this was something she needed to wait and hear.

The rest of the crowd seemed to be shocked by his words as well, though from the verbal reaction it was clear that most had no idea what he was speaking of. Only as few of the older men spoke of it being a legend they had heard of. "Well well, it seems as though it will be my duty to educate you of their great power! The power no other beings in the universe can ever hope to attain. The _Occuria _are the ones who deserve your worship and gratitude. It is _they_ who brought all of Ivalice into existence!" He spread his arms wide and looked up at the sky, perhaps hoping to see something there.

"The power of the Occuria is unparalleled!" The crowd went wild at this, again verging on the attitude of a mob when he brought his arms back down. "Wait! Before you cast your foolish judgments, behold- just one example of the Occuria's might." With this the dark haired man reached back behind him, pulling out a sword from behind his back. Ashe's gray eyes stared at the weapon. There was only one word to describe it—stunning.

It was quite a large sword, comparable to the Sword of Kings in size. However, not even that ornate weapon could compare to what was before her now. It was beautiful, pure shimmering silver with a hilt decorated in golden flames. That was the least of its majesty however, as the most amazing part of it all was the fact that the entire sword was bathed in an ethereal glow. Ashelia had never seen such a thing in her nearly twenty-one years. There was only one place the man could have acquired that sword.

The people who had been gathered before him gasped in awe at the weapon, though the Queen doubted they were aware of just what they were seeing. How could it be that such a weapon existed? There was _something _going on here, and she very much wanted to know just what it was. She had meant to stay longer, but chimes from a nearby clock tower alerted her of how late it had become.

The royal had no choice but to return to the palace. Her concern was great at that moment, but it would have to wait for now, much to the girl's chagrin. Making her way out of the crowd, Ashe's pace was quick as she made her way towards the palace. She had a lot to worry about; keeping the peace, keeping her sanity, and now this potential marriage. Even so, only one thought plagued Ashelia's mind as she walked.

_The Occuria have returned._

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**Congrats, you've made it to the end of the chapter! Yay! I hope it didn't suck too much. So this is of course just an introductory chapter and the later ones will be more exciting I promise. Next chapter- We meet up with Vaan and Penelo! **

**Thanks for reading! Reviews would make me extra happy.3**


	2. Chapter 2

**Finally got around to finishing chapter two. Yay! I don't have anything important to say here other than: I do not, nor will I ever own Final Fantasy XII. In case you assumed I did for some odd reason.**

* * *

"You must be very careful with delivery, as it—Vaan? Are you listening, m'boy?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah Migelo! I heard you." The Rabanastre-born boy answered with a weak smile, rubbing the back of his neck. To be perfectly honest, he had been too busy concentrating on the staring contest he was holding with Penelo to have listened. When he turned his attention back to the kind Bangaa, the sound of his friend's snickering reached his ears. Migelo didn't seem to completely buy Vaan's lie, but he repeated himself again after giving him a sort of stern look. "Yes well, as I had said, you two must be _careful _when you take this delivery. 'Tis a custom; one of a kind! Not something that can be replaced if broken."

"What exactly _is_ the delivery, Migelo?" Penelo inquired, curious to know just what was so important about this specific job. They delivered valuable things all the time. In fact, just the week before she and Vaan had hand-delivered a nearly priceless antique gun to a man up in Bhujerba. Not even _then _had Migelo been so set on telling them how careful they had to be. What could possibly be so special this time?

The Bangaa reached out a blue scaled hand and patted her gently on the head. "Curious one you are, dear Penelo. You will see soon enough. Vaan, come with me to the stockroom." Migelo said, summoning the lad to follow him into the back of the shop. Asking Penelo to wait for him outside, Vaan darted after the sapphire-colored Bangaa, disappearing behind the front desk. With that the pigtailed girl sighed as she reluctantly exited Migelo's Sundries, leaning herself against its sign. It seemed like years and years had passed before the platinum blonde boy emerged.

"Penelo? Ah, there you are." Vaan called out before noticing his friend, whose blue eyes happened to direct themselves towards the object he held underneath his arm. From what she could see it was a rather large silver shield. Not exactly groundbreaking, but Penelo knew not to make judgments so quickly. "A shield? Let me see, Vaan." Penelo commanded, reaching out to take the piece of armor from him. However, just as the tips of her fingers grazed the cool metal, the shield was suddenly swept away.

"Hmm... I don't know if I should do that." The aspiring Sky Pirate said in a teasing tone, holding the shield high above his head. Being that he was at least a few inches taller , this was a pretty effective method of keeping it away from her. Penelo hopped up onto the tips of her toes in vain trying to reach the shield, a slightly frustrated look on her usually friendly face. Vaan only laughed at her attempts, constantly moving it farther and farther out of her reach. After about thirty seconds Penelo seemed to realize she might as well give up, so she turned her back to Vaan, her arms crossed firmly over her chest.

"You're a bully, Vaan."

"Oh, come on Penelo! Don't be that way."

"Bully."

"Okay okay. Fine. You can see the shield."

Her mood suddenly uplifted, Penelo spun on her heels to face the boy again, excited to see if there was anything especially unique about this particular delivery. Vaan held it out in front of him so the outer decoration was facing her, and with a grin Penelo began to examine it. Perhaps something about the way it looked would clue her in as to its true importance.

From what she could see the shield seemed to be forged from pure silver; while that was normally a sign that the creation was more meant for show than battle, the girl felt a certain strength emanating from the shield which caused her to think otherwise. For the most part its silver was bright and polished to perfection, but some of the carvings were stained with ebony paint. The dark black brought out all the details and shadows within the intricate design; a nice touch. It was definitely a fancy shield, one that seemed more meant for a knight than the average soldier. However, Penelo couldn't help but notice how... _interesting_ the design actually was.

Instead of a more traditional symbol like a lion or dragon, there seemed to be a strange dark being depicted upon its surface. It definitely wasn't any creature _she'd_ ever seen, with a body seemingly made up of armor. It had no face, its head featureless except for a pair of bright eyes. The two silver circles cut brightly through the being's black 'face', and gave an effect almost like they were glowing. "These designs are _really _weird. Have you ever seen anything like this, Vaan?" The girl asked, leaning in closer to take a good look at the shield's finer details.

Vaan responded with a shrug, which almost caused him to drop the rather heavy shield. Adjusting his grip, he decided that a verbal response was probably safer at that moment. "Well, it's not really your average shield. That doesn't mean there's anything special about it though. Rich people _love _having weird stuff like this. I wonder if Ashe..."

"Oh hush, Vaan! Let's just get this delivered, okay?"

"Yeah. This thing is starting to freak me out."

"Same here...where exactly are we taking this anyway?"

"The Lowtown."

"_Great."_

* * *

Even though Vaan had known Penelo since they were young children, after all these years he just could_ not _understand her dislike for the Lowtown. Sure, it certainly wasn't the best place to live in all of Dalmasca (and especially not Rabanastre), but it had its own intriguing quirks. Even if it didn't have the most upbeat and positive atmosphere, that didn't mean that it was such a horrible place. Vaan personally thought it was pretty fun to explore around the labyrinth of alleys, speaking to the inhabitants and learning their stories. Of course, it also had a way of being quite depressing when you ran into one of the more _unfortunate _residents.

"C'mon Penelo, quit hogging the map!" Vaan complained, trying hard not drop the shield as he attempted to peer over the flaxen haired girl's shoulder. She only turned away from him in response, pale blue eyes scanning the piece of parchment. Migelo had marked the home of the client on Vaan's map, but it seemed as though they had been going in circles for the past half hour. Honestly it wasn't that difficult to get lost in the Lowtown.

Penelo bit down on her lip as she tried to make sense of the directions. It was amazing how difficult finding this place was turning out to be. "Are you _sure_ we've been going the right way?" She questioned, eyebrows furrowed in a sign of concern. Her friend didn't seem nearly as worried, smiling in amusement at her nervous ways. "Don't worry so much, Penelo. I'm pretty sure we're close. In fact, the place should be riiight..." He moved to look over her shoulder at the map again, glancing at it for a moment before definitively pointing at a wooden door behind them. "There! See, we were standing in front of it the whole time. Didn't I tell you I knew where it was?"

Penelo only rolled her eyes, folding up the map and taking a step towards the door. Taking a good look at the worn wooden entryway, she came to realize something. It was quite odd how someone with enough gil to order such an ornate custom shield would live in a place like this. Of course, it was wrong of her to make judgments based solely on living quarters, so she quickly put the thought aside. "I'm gonna knock. Hopefully this guy's at home," the girl announced, bringing up her fist to tap on the door a few times. Stepping back to stand next to Vaan, she folded her hands in anticipation as she waited for the door to open.

Moments passed and the door remained closed shut, not a sound coming from beyond it. Vaan began to tap his foot impatiently at that point, hoping to hand off the heavy shield before he had to strain his arms any longer. Not that it was _too_ heavy for him or anything. Of course not. In fact, he could carry it all day if he had to. He just didn't want to.

As a couple more minutes went by, it became quite apparent that no one was about to answer the door. "Guess they're not home." Vaan said finally, voicing out loud both of their thoughts. A soft _hmm _came from Penelo in response, the girl perhaps trying to come to a decision about what they should do next. "Should we just go back to Migelo?" asked the young Dalmascan, about ready to turn around and take the delivery back to his employer. His friend nodded as an answer, adding "I guess. Let's get—" She stopped suddenly leaning in closer to the door. "Wait, I think there's a note!"

Vaan's eyes followed in the direction she was pointing, and there indeed seemed to be a small piece of paper taped underneath the doorknob. "Oh. Well, are ya gonna read it or not?" He commanded, watching as Penelo ignored his words and silently plucked the note from the door. She noticed the handwriting was quite formal, almost like what a decree from the palace would look like. Odd, but the blonde girl didn't make much of it.

"_In case of my absence, please leave my delivery underneath the doormat_." Penelo recited, finding it a bit strange that he hadn't signed his name at the bottom of the note. At least she assumed it was a he, as Vaan hadn't actually informed her.

"So we just leave it?"

"That's what it says, Vaan."

"Works for me! I didn't want to lug this thing back anyway."

"Too heavy?"

"No."

"Uh huh," Penelo responded simply as she bent down to lift the straw doormat from the ground. Making a motion with her hand, she directed her friend to place the shield down. Vaan did so obediently, but he didn't take as much care to be gentle as she would have liked. The metal shield resonated with a _clanging_ sound as it made contact with the stone ground. Penelo winced slightly at the noise, though she remained silent as she made sure the shield was covered well by the mat.

With that done the duo made their way back towards Migelo's Sundries, both their minds occupied by thoughts of their mysterious delivery. It wasn't until they were almost completely out of sight of the client's home that Penelo suddenly had the urge to look back. Turning her head to do so, her blue eyes widened slightly at what she saw. "Vaan, look!" Gently taking hold of Vaan's arm to get his attention, she turned them around to face the client's now _open _door.

They both stared in surprise, seeing only a short moment pass before a man appeared from the doorway. They were a ways off at this point, so details weren't very visible, but it looked like he had dark hair? Maybe. Penelo couldn't quite tell from the distance, but she _did _see him scan the area (almost suspiciously) before quickly grabbing the shield from beneath the mat. The man seemed to take a look at the safeguard for a while; perhaps seeing if it was to his liking. A little while later he was back inside, the door shutting silently behind him.

The two blondes exchanged short glances with each other then, maybe wondering if they were both thinking the same thing. _That was weird._

"Guess he was home after all."

"Stating the obvious, Vaan."

He shrugged. "Well, he definitely didn't want to answer the door for us."

"I wonder why..."

"He hates people?"

Penelo smiled in spite of herself. "You don't know that, Vaan. I'm sure there's a perfectly good explanation for what just happened." The girl wasn't exactly sure _what_ the explanation would be, but one had to exist. She wasn't about to go and jump to far-fetched conclusions. Doing _that _only got people into more trouble than they needed to be in. The Gods knew that Penelo was not a person who needed anymore trauma in her life.

"When you come up with one, let me know Penelo. I just want to get out of here and spend the rest of the day free." Vaan said, lacing his fingers behind his head as he leisurely began to walk away from her. Penelo sighed and followed, almost wishing that they could stay longer to see if the mysterious man made an appearance again. "Well, Migelo won't expect us back until later. What do you say we do in the meantime?" She asked, catching up and walking beside him.

"Hmm... How about we visit our favorite Sky Pirates?"

"Sounds like a plan. I'll race you!"

"Okay. On the count of three. One!..." Vaan started, but before the word 'two' even left his mouth Penelo was off sprinting towards the stairs to main Rabanastre. "Hey!" He shouted after her, sighing before making his attempt at catching up. Even after all the adventures that had made their lives so different in the long run...some things never change.

* * *

**Soo that's the chapter! Again, not the most exciting but all stories have to start off slow, right? Or so I'm told. I promise, the beginning will have importance later on in the story.**

**Thanks for reading! You should leave me a nice review. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Just to clarify, this story is written under the assumption that the Final Fantasy XII sequel, Revenant Wings, does not exist. Mostly because I haven't finished the game. I refuse to spoil myself so, yeah.**

**Also, guess what? I still don't own Final Fantasy XII.**

* * *

Seven months had gone by since the sky pirates had stolen back their beloved airship. Seven months, and yet they had barely used the ship at all! Instead they had been docked near the coast of Bervenia for nearly the entire time, waiting for the perfect moment to make their move. The _Cache of Glabados _was waiting for them, and yet in all these months they hadn't gone to pillage the treasure. It seemed as though every time they went to try, something else came up. If it wasn't an invitation from the Queen, it was a worthwhile hunt out in the Giza Plain, and if it wasn't that, it was some chance to snatch some other valuable item, and if it wasn't _that,_ well…_something _was always taking their attention away from the Glabados Ruins.

It was quite annoying, really. Balthier pondered just how long it would take before they finally had this accursed Cache, his hands resting behind his head as he lounged in the ship's main cabin. From his spot lying on a padded bench, he could clearly observe Fran in the cockpit, making a routine check of the system—which reminded him that he definitely needed to check the engine room, as he hadn't done so that day. However, that could wait. They had just gotten back from a hunt, and Balthier was on the verge of completely falling asleep. In fact, his eyes were half-lidded as he watched Fran, and he was only made alert by a sudden knocking.

"Look sharp, Fran! It seems that they've found us. Though not to worry, I'll see to it that you're well taken care of whilst I rot in prison," the dapper man called across the ship's cabin, referring to the plethora of bounty hunters who were currently vying to cash in. It was meant as a joke more than anything, but of course Balthier's ever sophisticated tone didn't waver at all from the norm. By now his faithful Viera partner was accustomed to his sardonic humor, and she turned to give him a pointed look before striding over to one the _Strahl's _small portholes to peer outside.

"It is our young sky pirate friends," Fran announced simply, the exotic sharpness of her voice cutting through the dull hum of the _Strahl's _inner workings. Balthier sat up from his lying position at this, suddenly much more awake than he'd been two minutes previously. It had been a few weeks now since their last meeting with the two Dalmascans, and he was beginning to wonder just when they'd return.

"Ah, so Vaan and Penelo have returned, have they? Remember, they're only sky pirates-in-training...well, I suppose we have no choice but to let them in."

In no time Fran was standing at the main entrance and she flicked a switch, watching as the door slowly dropped down. Sunlight strongly flooded the _Strahl's_ main cabin, and soon enough Balthier could hear the two blonds greeting Fran enthusiastically. She only gave a brief nod in response, though there was _almost_ a smile on her face. Almost.

Penelo was the first to enter, the girl grinning broadly at her Viera friend. "How have you been, Fran?"

"I am well."

"That's good!"

Fran nodded.

"Hm, has your hair gotten longer?"

"Perhaps."

"It's really pretty!"

"Thank you..."

Balthier couldn't help but smirk in amusement as he listened to the two ladies speaking. Having someone so full of chatter as Penelo and get her talking to one of little words like Fran? Well, it was interesting to say the least. Turning his attention to the next person to enter the ship, he could already tell that Vaan was more than excited to be back at the _Strahl. _"You two back for another flying lesson, eh Vaan?"

"Well we came by to say hi; but if you're offering..."

---

Vaan was more than ecstatic that he was being allowed to drive the _Strahl _again, the wide grin on his face never faltering as he began to take the controls. Since the incident with the _Bahamut, _the young blond had been yearning to have the chance once more. It made him feel quite proud of himself that Balthier trusted him enough—and adding in the fact that Penelo was his co-pilot? Well, that only lifted his spirits further.

The Archadian sky pirate watched over their shoulders with a slight smirk, the man amused at how overjoyed Vaan was. You'd think he'd just been awarded a million gil! Then again, the _Strahl _was quite the treasure. It was only understandable that someone would be in awe of it. He certainly had been but six years prior, when he had first seen the eye-catching sky ship for himself during his escape from Archades. The ship was going to be scrapped, but instead Balthier granted it freedom—and at the same time, provided his own. Like killing two birds with one stone.

He reminisced on how disappointed he had been that Fran had not exactly shared his extreme enthusiasm for the _Strahl_ when he had first showed her his beloved ship. They had only known each other for a few days at that point, and yet Balthier was all too excited to show off his pride and joy to the Viera.

----

_"If you're going to be my partner in crime, I would think that I am obligated to give you a tour." A teenage Balthier replied in response to the Viera's questioning of just why they had to see the ship at that very moment. Couldn't they go and steal that valuable piece of treasure he had been clamoring about first? "I assure you, you won't regret this. The __**Strahl**__ is quite the sight to see."_

_Fran made no verbal reply to this, walking silently behind him as they advanced into the more remote regions of the Westersand. Apparently it was Balthier's favorite place to hide away his treasured airship. The Viera had previously asked him whether he was worried about fiends and the like, but he assured her that the __**Strahl**__ was more than secure._

_"Ah, here we are." Balthier suddenly voiced, walking up over a steep hill and seeming to quicken his pace. Fran herself couldn't see over the hilltop yet and she couldn't help but imagine just what she would see. The Archadian man had refused to describe the ship in detail, insisting that it be a surprise. She frowned ever so slightly at the thought. In all her many years, she had never been too fond of surprises—especially when they came from eccentric Hume men she barely knew._

"_The __**Strahl**__.__" The sky pirate announced with a flourishing emphasis; he even gave a wave of the hand as though he were showing off some great prize. Indeed the __**Strahl**__ was right in front of them, the perfectly shined metal exterior gleaming in the sunlight. Its intricate designs shone brightly, the colored parts standing out from the ship's overall chrome color scheme. Crimson eyes took in the ship, the Viera inwardly approving of what would be their mode of transportation._

_"She's a real beauty, no?"_

_"It is nice."_

_"Nice?"_

_"Pleasant, agreeable."_

_"No, no I'm aware of what nice means. It's just...nice, that's all?"_

_"It is not a sufficient description?"_

_"Oh, how you much you have yet to learn, my dear Viera." _

_----_

Lost in nostalgia, it was only when the _Strahl _suddenly shook with turbulence that Balthier was brought back to reality. Without warning, the ship was now losing altitude, and he watched as Vaan desperately messed with the controls. "Vaan, don't tell me you've forgotten how to fly already?" The Dalmascan boy shook his head in response, trying to get control of the ship with slight panic. Anyone could tell he was just as surprised at the ship's sudden downward turn as anyone else.

"I didn't touch anything, I swear!" Vaan insisted, putting his hands up in a show of innocence, before realizing what he was doing and once more gripping the _Strahl's_ control column. He watched frantically as Penelo began to flip switches and turn dials with urgency, both teens unsure of what exactly was going on. The ship slowly dipped closer and closer to the ground, though they were still high enough to feel somewhat safe. Penelo gasped suddenly, her blue eyes wide as she stared down at the controls. The blonde read out loud off the ship's dashboard, the worry in her voice clear: "Engine failure!?"

Just as the words left her mouth, the cockpit was flooded with a pulsing red light, an obvious signal that something was wrong with the ship. With a low growl of frustration, Balthier turned to his partner, who didn't seem to be in the same panic as the two Dalmascans. "Check the engine room, will you? I'm sure a screw came loose or some other such nonsense."

Fran nodded curtly and made her way out of the cockpit, her high-heeled shoes clicking audibly. With that the sky pirate turned his attention back to the two blonds. "You two holding your own there?"

Neither of them got the chance to answer his question, as the _Strahl _shook violently once more, causing Balthier to stumble before balancing himself on a chair. Penelo cried out at the sudden turbulence, and Vaan's desperation to keep control of the ship only intensified. His grip on the ship's yoke was tight enough that his knuckles had turned bright white.

"We're gonna crash!"

"Don't be foolish, Vaan. We'll do nothing of the sort," Balthier answered, sounding one hundred percent confident that he was telling the truth. Whether he was _actually_ that confident was another question completely. "Now, I need you to keep that steering steady. We have enough residual inertia to glide for a while but we have to work quickly." Just as the sky pirate said this, he noticed that his Viera partner was standing in the cockpit's doorway, an unusual look upon her features. Was that _worry_ he saw?

"Fran, have you found the culprit?"

"Something strange. Come, you should see."

Balthier raised a brow at this, watching as Fran silently turned on her heels and began to walk away, obviously expecting him to follow. Telling the two blonds that he'd return soon and to keep doing what they were, he followed after the Viera. As they walked he inwardly thanked her for giving him the chance to leave the cockpit. Those flashing red warning lights always gave him the most awful of headaches. At least the blaring siren had for some reason failed to go off—_that_ would have surely driven him over the edge.

Within a minute they were in front of the engine room, which had its metal door closed tight. It was only after he saw Fran looking down at the ground that he noticed a stream of smoke billowing from beneath the doorway. _That_ couldn't be good...With hesitance he stepped forward, creaking open the door with an air of caution. Once it was opened all the way a wall of smoke descended upon him, hitting the twenty-three year old full force. Coughing severely into his arm, the man could feel tears welling up in his eyes.

"By the...Gods, it's...it's as though a...bomb went off!"

Managing to calm his coughing after having stepped away from the door, Balthier fanned at the dark gray smoke with his hand. Fran then went to cover her mouth and nose with a clawed hand, her red eyes squinting as she attempted to peer through the smoke screen.

"A bomb? Not so far-fetched, I think."

"Someone trying to sabotage the leading man, eh? Well we can't have any of _that,_ now can we?"

"You think yourself able to repair this?"

"I _could_, but considering the state our young trainees are in, I think its best you and I leave this to our head mechanic." He said reasonably, knowing Fran would see the truth of his words. "Now just where is that flighty Moogle? Nono! We have a bit of an emergency!" Balthier called out, knowing that with those ears of his the Moogle would hear him, no matter where on the ship he currently was. Balthier waited impatiently for a reply, but there was nothing but silence in response.

"Nono!" He repeated more loudly, slightly frustrated that he hadn't answered the first time. However, his aggravation only transformed to an almost worrying state when he was once again answered by silence. It wasn't like Nono to ignore when he was being called.

"I truly hope we haven't left the poor Moogle behind on land..."

"He is here. I sense his presence."

"Well, let us check his quarters then. I wouldn't be surprised if he was _sleeping,_ of all things."

The duo were soon standing at Nono's bedroom door, not having to make much of an effort. After all, the Moogle's quarters _were_ about 10 feet away from the engine room itself. Fran stepped forward to knock on the door, and was surprised to find it swing open at her touch. Throwing a quick glance at Balthier, she slowly eased it the rest of the way open. Once she could see inside, Fran gave a sharp intake of breath, though her surprise did nothing to mar her dignified aura.

"What is—" Balthier questioned, stopped mid-sentence once he had stepped past Fran and into the room. There right in the middle of the room stood their mechanic Nono, his head bowed down in that oh-so-unmistakable way. Someone had cast a _sleep_ spell on Nono. That certainly explained why they hadn't seen the Moogle for hours.

Wasting no time, Balthier was quick to grab an alarm clock and toss it Nono's way. The effect was quite immediate; the mechanic waking up with a startled squeak. Obviously he had been taken by surprise, as the miniature being looked around the area frantically before his gaze settled on the two sky pirates.

"What happened!?"

"I would ask you the same! Who put you to sleep, Nono?"

"Well...I don't know, kupo. I just heard something sneaking up behind me—and then I was asleep, kupo!"

Balthier sighed deeply. "Fine, that can wait. Right now we're in mid-air and our engines have been destroyed. We need you to take a look and fix this before we go slamming into the ground."

"Oh noes, kupo!" The green-clad Moogle exclaimed, scurrying past Fran and Balthier and heading straight for the engine room. The partners followed close behind, and they could see that the dark smoke had dissipated a bit. Once they were standing at the door it was clear that the many mechanisms within the room were charred and covered in soot, some of the wires still aflame. Balthier's hunch seemed to have been proven correct; nothing but a bomb could have made such damage.

With Nono being only a couple of feet tall in height, it was easy for him to walk into the room and manage not to breath in too much smoke. He was inside for a minute or two, the sky pirates waiting anxiously for a diagnosis outside the room. Hopefully this would be something Nono would be able to fix—and fix _quickly. _The last thing they needed was a ship with a broken engine while they were perhaps ten thousand feet in the air. A whole five minutes had gone past since the engine went out, and it was only a matter of time before things became dire.

Eventually he came back out, giving the two sky pirates a distressed look. Seeing this, Balthier immediately knew that things were not going well. A deep frown could be seen on his face as Nono spoke gravely. "I don't have the supplies to fix it on the ship, ku—"

"VAAN!"

Just as they heard Penelo's shriek, the ship shuddered more harshly than it had before, dipping forward in a slight nosedive. This caused Nono to lose his balance, the poor Moogle being thrown into an awkward somersault towards the front of the ship. Balthier steadied himself and Fran against a wall, waiting for the worse of the shaking to stop before taking a step forward. Obviously they would have to use another means of making sure they didn't crash. The Archadian man in the lead, the three staggered less than gracefully towards the cockpit. The _Strahl_ shook every few moments; obviously the momentum they had had before was beginning to wind down.

Just nearly managing not to crash into Vaan's chair, Balthier placed a firm hand on his shoulder, speaking to the boy with stern purpose. "The engines are useless. We'll have to make a less _graceful _landing. Head for the Galtean Sea," He said, pointing to the large body of water about five miles to their right. The _Strahl _had been flying eastward for a while now, going along the coast in the direction of the Giza Plains. Luckily for them they weren't too far inland. "Pull up as much as you can; we can't afford to lose too much altitude until we're closer to the water. It should slow us down a bit as well. Once we're about a mile off, I want you to ease her into the water. Just make sure downward the angle isn't too steep or we'll sink like a rock. Understood?"

"Got it!"

"Good man." Part of Balthier truly wondered why he was making the decision to let Vaan do such a potentially dangerous maneuver on the _Strahl_. Was it the fact that he was well aware of the boy's ability to fly an airship? Vaan had gone on about how he and Penelo were going to get themselves an airship of their own. Perhaps it was that Balthier thought it a good training opportunity? Nothing better to learn than how _not_ to crash. Or maybe...maybe it was the fact that if things got too dicey he could always force himself back into the pilot seat and take over.

"Now, take your seats, everyone. We're about to make a bit of a splash." He said, taking the tall chair behind Vaan and leaning slightly forward to observe the blond's actions. Fran took a seat behind Penelo and Nono behind _her_, the Moogle still looking incredibly panicked. Surely the mechanic was wishing he had stayed behind on land instead of agreeing to be on the ship.

The Viera woman sat back in her seat at first, only to lean forward when she noticed how tense the blonde girl in front of her was. Fran placed a hand gently on Penelo's arm, speaking in what could be described as an almost motherly, soothing tone. "It will be alright." The Dalmascan girl turned her head back at this, giving the older woman a weak smile before nodding. "Right."

With Balthier's clear instructions, Vaan and Penelo managed to get themselves into a good position within a few minutes, the Galtean Sea directly beneath the ship now. The blond pilot couldn't help but worry a bit at how fast they were still going, but Balthier assured him that he was doing fine.

"Alright, starting tilting down now, about 15 degrees. No further, or we'll have ourselves a broken ship and one hell of a swim back to shore."

Vaan nodded in understanding, pushing down on the steering to make the ship dip forward. It seemed to go well enough until another shaking of the ship caused the boy to lose his grip, resulting in the ship nearly going nose first into the water. Nono let out a loud squeak of panic, his eyes squeezing shut. If they were about to crash and die, he was not about to witness it visually.

However, within a split second Vaan had control of the _Strahl_ once more, a sigh of relief escaping him. He could do this. All he needed to do was keep his wits about him and they'd be fine. In fact, he was one hundred percent confident that he could. Though really, Penelo's screaming at him to not let them crash certainly didn't help his concentration.

Finally, after what seemed like hours speeding over the water, Vaan lowered the _Strahl _so that it now skidded across the ocean's surface. The large airship seemed to split the water in two, tidal waves forming on either side of the speeding vessel. The young Dalmascan let out a triumphant laugh and "Yes!" at this, realizing that they were still alive. "I did it! Wasn't that awesome, Penelo?"

The poor girl sitting beside him was drained of all color at that point, though a look of clear relief was on her face. She covered her face with both hands, perhaps silently thanking the Gods that they hadn't crashed and burned. "Yeah, great," was her muffled reply, sarcasm clearly being employed. With a lighthearted smile, Vaan reached over to drape his arm around her shoulders and bring her closer. "We're fine. See, we're even slowing down. Now we just have to wait for it to stop, right Balthier?"

"The only thing we _can_ do now. We have a lifeboat to use once we've stopped drifting." A smile crossed the sky pirate's features. "Though I must commend you Vaan, you did much better than I had expected."

"What, you thought I'd crash us?!"

"Oh, of course not. I would've taken the reigns long before you did _that_."

"Hey!"

At this Nono finally opened one of his eyes, the Moogle speaking up in a timid tone.

"...Did we die, kupo?"

* * *

**Well, wasn't that an interesting chapter? At least I hope it was. It was supposed to be, but you never know. Hopefully you at least enjoyed it!** **(Oh, and in case this had you wondering, a yoke is the official name of the steering on a plane. Yes, the Strahl isn't quite a plane technically, but work with me here.)**

**I don't have much else to say except adding in my obligatory request for reviews. It'd seriously make my day/week. I'd also make me want to write faster! So review. **


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